


The Once and Future

by AnalystProductions



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Fanart, Fanfiction, Fanmix, Gen, Gwen is also awesome, M/M, OT4, Saving the World, Superheroes, imagination explosion, morgana is awesome, once and future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-25
Updated: 2012-09-26
Packaged: 2017-11-15 01:05:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/521443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnalystProductions/pseuds/AnalystProductions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Call them in.” The grey-haired man said, gazing out pensively form the large window. The younger man standing at the entrance of the grand room gasped, swallowing-hard.</p><p>“Sir,” the dark-haired man stuttered. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” as he spoke he grew in confidence,  raising his eyebrows suggestively. “Do you not remember what happened the last time you put Spiderman and Superman in the same room?! Why they nearly destroyed the whole-”</p><p>“-I have no other choice,” Uther spun round. “The city is in disarray. I can only hope that they will overlook their differences and work together on this. All of them have a responsibility to the City of Camelot, to serve and protect them.”</p><p>SUPERHERO!AU via Ficlet, Graphics & Fanmix</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Assemble The Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> FANMIX CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE: http://analyst-1.livejournal.com/51936.html
> 
> Enjoy ^^

 

“Call them in.” The grey-haired man said, gazing out pensively form the large window. The younger man standing at the entrance of the grand room gasped, swallowing-hard.

“ _Sir,”_ the dark-haired man stuttered. “Are you _sure_ that’s a good idea?” as he spoke he grew in confidence,  raising his eyebrows suggestively. “Do you _not remember_ what happened the last time you put Spiderman and Superman in the same room?! Why they nearly destroyed the whole-”

“-I have no other choice,” Uther spun round. “The city is in disarray. I can only hope that they will overlook their differences and work together on this. All of them have a responsibility to the City of Camelot, to serve and protect them.”

 

_We are the face of a new generation_

_we are the ones who have no reservation_

_don't give a damn about your cold calculation_

“…I _was_ wondering what it would take for you to realise that you _do_ need people like us!” the figure exclaimed light-heartedly as they flew dramatically into the room via the window. Uther maintained his composure; the woman behind him jumped at the sudden intrusion. The white web spewing from the stranger’s hands hit the ceiling, allowing him to dangle elegantly upside down. “Obviously, it would be nothing short of apocalyptic chaos.”

His red and blue costume, with black threads that created a web-like pattern over the material was iconic. It left no doubts as to who exactly he was: Spiderman.

Uther gestured towards the seat, hand outstretched. Pulling the mask from his face, Spiderman grinned at the Mayor. Slowly lowering himself from the ceiling, he reluctantly landed on the ground – _boring –_ and sat down on one of the chairs.

 

“So who else did you call?” he asked curiously, knowing that there was a wealth of heroes around nowadays. However, there were only a small handful that sprung to mind as _super_ heroes. Unfortunately, _Superman_ was one of them. When Uther Pendragon didn’t answer, Spiderman rolled is eyes, confirming his suspicions.

_I'm not your average type of girl_

_I'm gonna show the world the strength in me_

_that sometimes they can't see_

The next hero (or rather heroine) arrived ten minutes later, deciding upon a more modest entry. However, just because her entrance was less fancy, it didn’t mean she was _any less_ competent. The moment she stepped into the room, she _commanded_ it with her dark eyes and pursed lips. The Black Widow had proven herself time and time again in combat; she was fierce and exquisitely beautiful. The black leather costume complemented her cinnamon skin. She strode through the tall doorframe, gazing over towards Uther, then to the man in the chair. A rare smile framed her lips. Spiderman dashed towards her. He aimed a web towards her arm, using it to hoist her towards him. She reached for the blade in her pocket, cutting the web effortlessly.

“I see you’ve been working on your weapons.” he observed brightly.

“Merlin, how’s my favourite spider?” she cooed. Uther still found it _difficult_ to call these heroes by their first names; it was unusual to hear such a _normal,_ human name associated with these divine beings. (It was even more unusual to think that one of these heroes was his adopted-alien son.)

Shrugging, Merlin (Spiderman) replied nonchalantly.

“Alright.” Black Widow shot him a look, revealing she knew he was lying. “Ok, _I know_. But there’s only so many times Super _Prat_ can claim credit for _my_ victories before my title dwindles-”

“-What title?” a new voice scoffed, Merlin scowled at the levitating shadow hovering over them.

 

_Every day I'm a star in the city_

_Walk the streets like a wanted man_

_All the time got my shine looking pretty_

_Mother ~~fuckers~~ I know who I am _

“You can shoot webs, that’s hardly impressive _Mer_ lin.”

Superman never failed to show off his talents, which mainly involved the ability to fly, strength and a huge ego that seemed to expand more and more each time Merlin had unfortunate luck and bumped into him. Like now, for instance. Superman was hovering around the two heroes; blonde locks meticulously styled, bright blue eyes accentuated by his costume. Merlin rolled his eyes at the costume; he had always thought the large ‘S’ was unnecessary and a little pretentious.

Drawing two fingers into his palm, Merlin shot a web towards the man. Superman dived out of the way, blowing a stack of papers on the desk over in the process. Smirking, he hovered a little off the ground, arms folded over his broad chest.

“Losing your touch Spidey?”

Narrowing his eyes, Merlin shot a web to the ceiling, allowing himself to swing across the room at a rapid speed. Gracefully he landed a few inches from Super _prat_ ’s face, hanging upside down. Noticing the astonishment on the man’s face, Merlin grinned. He held a hand to his chin, looking into those blue eyes challengingly. The sound of screaming pulled them out of their trance. Rapidly, the three heroes made their way towards the window, searching for the source of the screams.

 

_Stomp, stomp I've arrived_

_Drop the beat, nasty face_

_why you looking at me?_

When another person’s cries resonated through the streets Superman groaned, rubbing his forehead in vexation.

“Oh _dear lord_ ,”

Furrowing his eyebrows, Merlin turned to the blonde inquisitively. He had not managed to figure out who the fourth person would be. Black Widow smiled in appreciation, seeming to know exactly who it was also.

“Here she comes.”

Another cry sounded down the corridor, drawing their attention away from the window. Whoever _this_ was, they were fast. One of the doors became lose on its hinges, falling to the ground, revealing the fourth Hero. Theatrically, she climbed daintily over the door, sauntering over to the three heroes with a cocky smirk on her face. She wore a black mask over her eyes, cat ears protruding from her messy, dishevelled hair, and a black laced outfit with high black boots. Lifting her eyes to them, she curtsied mockingly; Cat-Woman, Merlin should have known.

“Was it really _necessary_ to beat up every single one of father’s security guards?” Superman asked with a drawn-out sigh, gazing down the long corridor in dismay.

“Of course not dear Arthur,” she replied. “But it _was_ just _so easy,_ and fun. _”_ Sneering, she turned to Uther. “Perhaps you should get myself and Widow to train your men, they’re incredibly slow.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Arthur said. “Those were cheap tricks-”

“-I suppose _you_ can fight better?” Merlin asked coyly, clearly impressed with Cat-woman’s work.

“Please, I fight better than any woman.” At these words, Black Widow immediately lifted her fists, performing an elaborate kick-spin in the air that would easily knockout anyone in her path. Tauntingly, she leant towards Arthur who struggled to hold his ground.

“-Sure about that?” She leered; Cat-woman grinned, eyes locked on Gwen with interested.  Uther stared at the four heroes severely, uncertainty clouding over him. 

“I have a feeling we’re going to get along _swell,”_ Cat-woman admitted, draping an arm casually around Widow’s shoulder.

 


	2. Behind Closed Doors

  _I'm sitting in a room  made up of only big white walls_

_and in the hall  there are people looking through_

_the window in the door t hey know exactly what we're here for_

_don't look up just let them think_

_t_ _here's no place else you'd rather be_

_you're always on display_

_for everyone to watch and learn from_

_don't know by now you can't turn back?_

_because this road is all you'll ever have_

The four were escorted into the room, attempting to shelter their faces from the blinding cameras and crazed frantic questions constantly being hurtled towards them. Shutting the doors behind him, the noise and disturbance too, Uther frowned.

  "This is _ridiculous!"_ Cat-Woman shrieked. "We can't go anywhere, how are we meant to save the world when we can barely walk down the street?" 

  "Save the world..." he said, studying the woman pensively. "I was hoping you would say that." Uther tossed the newspaper on the desk in front of them. "After all that's what we all assume you're here for." 

 

One advantage of having super-vision was that you didn't have to lean in close to read small writing, like the other three heroes were doing now. Arthur snatched the paper from their attention in outrage as his eyes cast over one sentence.

"...but we must not forget," he recited in an irritated voice. "that they too have their problems,  _Superman_ especially?!" Gruffly, he threw the newspaper onto the table, forceful enough to accidentally break two of the legs and completely destroy it. Nobody seemed fazed by this demonstration of power.

"Problems?! I don't have any problems!" he shrieked, glowering when he caught sight of Spiderman's grin.  

"I don't know what _you're_ grinning about. According to Longsgate you're nothing more than a mutated troublemaker-"   

"-At least I can actually _control_ my powers." Merlin shrugged flippantly, gesturing to the table. 

  " _Boys,"_ Gwen wailed desperately. "let's not forget we're here for a reason."   

"Inability to work in a team I understand," Arthur muttered, gazing over towards Morgana. Skimming over the paper once more, he turned to Black Widow. "But refusing to fight when called upon? That's a bit _selfish_ isn't it?"  

"Like  _you_ don't pick and chose your enemies?" She retorted, arms folded over her chest. 

  "-Yes, he does!" Merlin snapped bitterly. "He always tries to take  _mine!"_    

"You can't handle them that's  _why."_ Arthur explained bluntly. Merlin viciously spun around, shooting a web from his hand that narrowly missed Superman's pretty face.

  "Who are you to tell another hero what he can and can't handle?" Cat-woman took a step towards the three bickering heroes. "We all have our limitations. I don't believe you're giving Spiderman the credit he deserves." Raising his eyebrows, Merlin continued.  

 "Let's go back to March 13th shall we? It was  _you_ who instigated the Anhora fiasco-"   

"-No. That was  _your_ fault-" Superman spat furiously, because this wasn't fair. He could easily take down any of these three in a physical battle. Merlin's eyes doubled in size.  

"M _y fault?!"_ He laughed incredulously at the statement. 

 "Yes. Just like when that stupid Kilgarrah started destroying the city with his Dragon-"

  "-Well. If I'm so _incompetent,_ perhaps I should just leave you three to do the job then?" Merlin asked, voice low and dangerous.   

"So you're going to walk out on your responsibility?" The Black Widow narrowed her eyes at Spiderman.  

"It's not like _you_ were going to do anything other than stand there and look pretty anyway." he replied petulantly, realising he'd crossed a line when Gwen's eyes flashed with hurt. Silently, she took a step back from the four heroes. Then abruptly, she stormed out the room, ensuring to punch a few people on the way to demonstrate she could do more than 'stand there and look pretty'. 

"I'm leaving," Cat-woman announced promptly, making her way to the window. "Longsgate's right, I'm not a team player. Whatever's out there I'd rather take my chances and face it alone than with a bunch of rookies like you." Gracefully, she slipped out the window, leaving Superman and Spiderman behind.

  "Look what you've done!" Superman yelled angrily at Merlin. Stubbornly, Spiderman made his way towards the window.   

"It's  _always_ my fault isn't it?" he said darkly, gazing over his shoulder towards the man. "You think you're so  _perfect,_ incapable of making mistakes-"

  "- _You_ think you're so smart and clever when really you're just a _mindless idiot_ prancing around like an arthropod-"

  "-Rather that than a stupid red cape!" Merlin hissed in disgust before disappearing out of sight. Running towards the window, Arthur watched Spiderman weave between buildings, fading expertly into the distance.   

"I can't  _take this anymore!"_ he muttered in aggravation. 

  "Arthur, you have to bring them back." Uther demanded.   

"I don't have to do anything. I'm fucking  _sick_ of all of this!" He replied angrily, hastily flying out the window.   The dark-haired man from earlier shrugged when Uther met his gaze. He didn't need to say anything because his body language said enough. Nonetheless, he did so anyway.

  "Told you it was a bad idea."

 

_It may sound absurd, but don't be naive_

_even heroes have the right to bleed_

_I may disturbed, but won't you conced_

_e even heroes have the right dream_

_it's not easy to be me_

Arthur liked to fly when he had things on his mind. The rush of the wind against his face ignited adrenaline and excitement. Not to mention the way his majestic red cape trailed behind him, allowing people on the surface to gaze up and marvel. However, tonight was different. Tonight, not even flying would ease his conscience, soothe his mind. Longsgate was right, he did have problems, insecurity being one. Those other heroes had no idea what it felt like to be a  _real alien._ He wasn't even from this planet for christ's sake! He'd never met his parents, or seen his home. Sometimes he thought about it, sometimes he wondered if he could fly through the atmosphere, cape burning, and head home. He would try it in a heartbeat, if he knew where home was.  The truth was he didn't have a clue, neither did Uther.    No-one understood his situation, his very being - not even other heroes. Sighing, he raked a hand through his hair, quietly admiring the city from the top of a skyscraper. 

 

_I can see it coming from the edge of the room_

_creeping in the streetlight_

_holding my hand in the pale gloom_

_can you see it coming now?_

_Oh I think I'm breaking down again_

Merlin landed in his room with a thud, not bothering to take off his costume as he slumped onto his mattress. Wiping a hand over his face, he clamped his eyes shut. Things were never supposed to be like this, being a hero. Normal people wished to be a hero. His lips twitched at the notion. He bet they didn't know that heroes wished to be normal people. His mother, Hunith, she was the only one who ever truly understood him. Before the spider bite, before _all of this,_ everything was perfect. He'd prayed many times for the world to reverse itself. A knock sounded on his bedroom door, the person behind it entered a few seconds after.  

"What happened?" Gaius asked softly. "You're not supposed to be back for a few more hours."  

"The Once and Future was doomed before it even began." Merlin whispered, trying to stop the lump in his throat from bursting. Gazing over towards the old man, his beloved Uncle, Merlin groaned at his vacant expression. No-one understood his situation, his life - not even other heroes. It was futile trying to work with them, they were exhausting, vain and ridiculously competitive. Now, Camelot was bound to fall into the hands of darkness. Spiderman was no match for this level of evil, none of them could face it alone. But it seemed none of them _would_ face it together. He rolled to his side, sheltering his face from Gaius as the tears slowly rolled down his cheeks.

 

_I'm in here, can anybody see me?_

_Can anybody help?_

_I'm in here, a prisoner of history_

_Can anybody help?_

Taking her leather jacket off, Gwen slouched into her dressing table. Hesitantly, she gazed into the mirror, into her own eyes. She was unable to hold her own, looking away with two seconds. Weak. That was what everybody thought she was, a weak woman who stunned people with beauty and then caught them off guard with a few fancy tricks. These were no tricks. She had acquired these skills through specialist training, she had worked  _just as hard_ as every other hero to perfect her talent. Frowning, she turned to the picture frame on the desk. Her eyes watered as she studied the two smiling people in the black frame.   No-one understood the Black Widow, not even fellow heroes. They didn't seem to understand that behind her soft hazel eyes and smooth lips was a dark past, driving her to fight for justice and righteousness. Just because - technically - she had no super power, did not mean she wasn't valuable. Her skills in combat were worshipped by many, unparalleled and refined. Merlin had told her so before. The tears spilled from her eyes as she pulled the photo frame into her shaking hands. Merlin's words had really hurt today, not because they had come from a fellow hero, but because he was supposed to understand everything she'd been through. He was supposed to be her friend. Lancelot's smile was still beautiful, his tanned skin radiant, his loving eyes continuing stared into hers each time she braved to look at the worn photograph. Abruptly she pressed the photo down onto the table, cupping her trembling lips.  Merlin didn't understand. No-one ever understands.

 

_Take me I'm alive_

_never was a girl with a wicked mind_

_but everything looks better_

_when the sun goes down_

"What made you change your mind?" the figure asked curiously, never leaving the shadows that hid their appearance. 

  "Those fools don't _understand_ ," Cat-woman spat darkly, unsure where exactly she was supposed to be looking. She resorted to one spot in the corner. "I was stupid to think they would see me for who I am. But nobody will ever understand me..." averting her eyes to the ground she smiled sadly. "...I am forever stranded..." the smile shifted into a smirk. "left to dwell in the _dark_."  Slowly the figure stepped into the light, against her will she found herself pacing backwards. He shot her a ferocious grin. 

"The dark welcomes you." 

 


	3. We Watch The World Burn

 

_Somewhere I know, that I'm not all alone_

_with this bated breath I hold_

_My lungs want to explode_

_this can't be the real world now_

_I can't believe it, when I can't see the truth_

"Hey stop that!" He yelled, spewing the web from his wrist frantically. The citizen ran off, making sure to pick up a different phone that had fallen out of the security case and onto the floor. Gazing around the shop, Spiderman frowned. The whole city had broken down into panic, fires had destroyed many buildings. People had resorted to looting, packing supplies in order to leave the city. Abruptly he was thrown to the ground. He spun a web rapidly, pulling himself up the ceiling just in time to avoid the bullet that would have gone right through his chest. The civilian aimed once again, only to be knocked over. Merlin stared vacantly at the man levitating before him.  

"It's not safe out here for us Merlin." Superman muttered, looking around the street dismally, defeated. " _Go home_."   

"No." Merlin snapped, jumping towards the blonde. "We can stop them, I _know_ we can." he watched Arthur's face morph into one that signified annoyance. 

"There's no 'we', there's _never_ been a 'we'. Heroes work alone." The words pained Merlin, hitting his heart.  

"There _could_ be." his desperate words apparently had no effect on the man. Sighing, he lowered himself from the web and back onto the ground. As he left the destroyed shop, he called out to Arthur one last time.

"Let go of your pride and stubbornness Arthur, before people start getting killed."   He wasn't surprised when he saw that the red cape was already high in the sky. 

 

_Whose side am I on?_  

_Whose side am I?_

  _Whose side am I on?_  

_Whose side am I?_

"Morgana," Gwen said, clearly surprised by the woman's sudden entrance into her house. "What brings you here?"  

"I'd like to think that we could have been good friends Widow," the woman mysteriously replied, sweeping into the light gradually. Swallowing-hard, Gwen held her ground, unsure where exactly this was going. All she knew was that Cat-Woman's voice didn't  _sound_ friendly. Then it hit her, the truth. Pulling the dagger from her belt, she thrust it into the distance between them threateningly.  

"You're working  _with them."_ she gasped as Morgana smirked deviously. "Why? Why would you let the city you care about _burn_?"  The dark-haired beauty seemed amused by the statement. Absent-mindedly she traced her fingernails over the dressing table. Her eyes met the photograph and she felt her smirk grow. It seemed Black Widow was a widow, as for being a Black Widow,  _well,_ everybody had darkness inside them somewhere, waiting to come out.  

"Why indeed..." she mused curiously, turning her attention back to the woman who looked more nervous than before.  Unable to hold her composure, Gwen felt her breathing accelerate. Morgana took a step forwards teasingly. "You could save it...we _all_ could have." snarling, she leant towards her. "But we  _didn't._ Don't act like you're not responsible, because you are just as guilty as I am."   Extending a hand, Morgana raised her eyebrows.  

" _Come with me_ Black Widow." 

 

_Delivered from the blast_

_the last of a line of lasts_

_the pale princess of a palace cracked_

_crashing down undone_

_and I am a master of a nothing place_

_of recoil and hate_

"I should have known." the voice caught Cat-Woman off guard, causing her to stumble slightly when she pressed the buttons on the large generator.

"You should leave now, while you still can." she replied, voice echoing through the room.  

"Please Morgana I beg you!" Merlin cried, panicking as he watched her toy with the device in front of them. She had  _no idea_ what the repercussions would be if the leviathans came through the void. "You're meddling with things you don't understand." she ignored him, continuing to fumble with the machine. "The city will  _fall-"_  

 "-Good!" She snapped back, a small smile on her face.  

Shaking his head, Merlin bit back his tears. This was never supposed to happen. They were supposed to save the earth, not destroy it.  

"No." he muttered, swallowing-hard. "You don't mean that."  

Silence. The woman turned back to the machine. She grunted in frustration when Merlin's web latched onto her hand, pulling it away from the contraption forcefully. The action caused her whole body to turn towards him, eyes dark. She struggled in his grip, Merlin merely tugged it closer, eyes poignant.

"It doesn't have to be like this..." he desperately whispered, inching towards the woman imploringly with watery eyes. "we can find another way."   Sadly, she shook her head.   

"There is no other way." 

 

_Take a bow, play the part_  

_of a lonely, lonely heart_  

_say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in_  

_to the world you thought you lived in_

The Leviathans would be here in less than ten minutes. Merlin had no time to waste, he'd made up his mind. He was going to fight them. Somehow his powers might just be able to fend them off, lure them back into the portal. How on earth he was going to shut the portal whilst protecting the city, fighting Leviathans and escaping the clutches of the evil villains he didn't know. He hadn't worked everything out that far in advance yet.

Slowly, Merlin walked down the empty streets. Most of the people had fled, all that was left was a broken city, a city that would soon be obliterated by complete darkness. A shadow appeared on the cement in front of him. Reluctantly he studied its shape, sighing when he noticed the feet didn't touch the ground.  

"You can't talk me out of this." he simply said, not bothering to look behind him at the blonde man.  

"I know." Arthur replied with the same simplicity. "I'm...I'm sorry."  Narrowing his eyes, Merlin continued walking. He understood the gravity of this apology. Superman wasn't going to fight, he was backing down, flying away.

He was alone in this fight.  

"I know you think I'm a coward but I'm...I'm  _not._." Arthur laughed sheepishly, staring up at the darkening sky. "I just can't bear to fight knowing we'll lose."  

"That's never held you back before," Merlin observantly muttered, studying the ominous black clouds looming over the city. Turning his attention to Spiderman, Arthur curiously listened to his words. "Superman faces every challenge with admirable bravery and courage. Even if inside he doesn't feel like that, he puts on a front for the sake of Camelot. He doesn't fight because he has to, he fights because he wants to. He's honourable and..." Merlin felt his lips upturn gently. "... _super."_   

Plucking up his own bravery, he gazed towards Arthur, hoping he'd finally understand everything. Those crystal blue eyes twinkled with realisation, understanding. But there was one fundamental problem: his words didn't match up to the soft, _fond_ expression on his face.  

"I believe you're mistaken."   Merlin didn't bother to respond, sharply twisting his body away from Arthur. Tears framed his eyes. He didn't need to look behind him to know he was now standing alone. 


	4. I Guess It's Time To Finally Save The World

Merlin watched as the clouds above stirred, rumbling deeply. Flashes of lightening burst inside the torrent. The whole thing screamed 'get the fuck out of here or you're going to die- seriously you will die'. He didn't let its menacing appearance faze him - too much. Inside he was panicking. His hands were shaking, his breath ragged. Clamping his eyes shut for a moment, he tried to regain his breathing, to calm down. He wouldn't be able to fight like this. Hell, he wouldn't be able to fight _at all_. Arthur was right, Arthur was always right! They didn't stand a fucking chance. He jumped at the sensation of a hand on his shoulder. Spinning round, he smiled weakly at Gwen. 

"I'm _sorry_." she murmured, searching his eyes for signs of forgiveness. 

 "Me too, I didn't mean what I said..." Merlin chuckled, still embarrassed by his change of character a few months ago. If Gwen's expression was anything to go by, she was also ashamed of her own behaviour. Tossing him a customised weapon, she gazed up at the expanse of darkness.   

"So, do you have a plan?" she asked slowly. 

 "Nope." He replied cheerfully, hoisting a false smile onto his face.  

"Why does that _not_ surprise me?" A foreign voice called out from behind them jeeringly. Merlin didn't look away from the dark expanse of cloud, but he felt a swell of hope and newfound vigour rush through his veins.

"You were right Merlin. There was another way. _This way_." Absently, Merlin reached for Morgana's hand, squeezing it gently with his own.  

Then something terrible happened; the sky  _literally_ tore into two, and out from this gigantic tear came a massive beast. It was bigger than a skyscraper, larger than anything that had ever threatened Camelot in the past. It looked like a cross between a giant serpent and a dragon. As it flew out of the tear and into the city, Merlin exchanged looks with his two companions. Bravely, they charged towards the creature.

Despite not having a plan, they seemed to simultaneously have the same idea. Merlin darted into the sky, making a large web between two buildings. The Black Widow handed Merlin the detonation devices she had made earlier, whist Cat-Woman steered it towards the web. At the speed it was going, it smashed into the web forcefully. Merlin pulled Gwen away from the web, the pair of them landing on the ground. Quickly, he covered her with his arms, hoping Morgana had made it to safety.

Then came the explosion, blowing the creature up effortlessly.  Standing, Merlin and Gwen rushed over to Morgana who smiled at them.  

"We did it!" she exclaimed.  The trio should have known better than to assume it was over, because the moment Cat-Woman said those words, another Leviathan appeared. This was followed by  _hundreds_ that all began to seep through the tear.  

"We didn't do it." she corrected herself, pacing backwards nervously. From the Leviathans, smaller creatures fell, lunging towards them.  

They were done for.  

Truly done for.

_I am with you_

_I will carry you through it all_

_I won't leave you I will catch you_

_when you feel like letting go_

_cos you're not, you're not alone_

Merlin recognised that red cape anywhere, even from this distance. For a moment the impending doom around him became a mere distraction in the background of his mind. Arthur landed beside him, and Merlin couldn't stop the genuine smile spreading over his face. Leaning against Spiderman, Arthur brushed his hand comfortingly over his own. The touch ghosted over Merlin's costume, sending a small shiver up his spine. Meeting those hypnotic blue eyes, he discovered what resided inside them to be far more than he could have ever anticipated, a promise that he would fight for. The world remained perfect for one more second. 

Then it all collapsed into a mesh of distorting movements, dark horrific settings and apocalyptic scenes. Arthur analysed the situation grimly.

"Looks like you guys could use a hand." he eventually said when he noticed the two heroines were staring at him in shock.  

"About bloody time!" Morgana yelled from behind him, pushing one of the creatures away viciously.  

The four of them stood back to back in a circle formation, all trying to monitor the creatures around them. The radius of pseudo-protection around them was slowly dissolving away. Leaning towards Merlin, Arthur frowned.  

"We need to get to the machine, and shut it down."  

"Morgana helped turn it on," Merlin whispered back, earning a confused look from Arthur. Before he could question what on earth he had missed, the raven-haired hero continued. "She could turn it off."  

Nodding blankly, Arthur gestured towards the proximity of the beasts.   

"You take Morgana to the machine," he reached for Gwen, placing his hand firmly around her waist. "Widow and I will try and keep these things occupied as long as possible."   

The second the creatures lunged, Spiderman and Superman surged into simultaneous action. Arthur flew into the air with Gwen safely in his arms. The Black Widow threw one of her explosives down towards the ground. Merlin hoisted Morgana towards him and created a web that sprang them up into the air, out of harms way. As they passed Arthur and Gwen ,the ground below became ablaze with fire from Gwen's weapon. Merlin grinned with satisfaction at their manoeuvre. He was pretty sure that kind of brilliance was only seen in those highly unrealistic Superhero movies. Then again, they  _were_ superheroes, and this was their moment to shine, their moment to save the world.  

They were the Once & Future.  

And they were going to save Camelot.

_Out of the light like star, like a hero_

_love will survive_

_Taking a fight is a life of hero_

_staying alive_

_this is a story of love and compassion_

_only heroes can tell_

_out of the light like a star, like a hero_

_love will survive_

The moment they landed, Merlin rushed straight towards the machine.

"There's got to be  _some way_ to turn it off!" he muttered apprehensively, crouching down to observe the peculiar device. "but," he frowned. "If we shut it, we've still got a hundred Leviathans causing havoc..." he then realised Cat-Woman had been cryptically silent, too silent. "Morgana what do you-" his words cut off abruptly as he spun around.

There he was, one of  _them,_ sword pressed to Cat-Woman's throat threateningly. Instinctively he held his palm out, ready to spin a web and take the weapon away fiercely.  

_"Don't move_." the villain spat darkly, bringing the blade closer to her neck. Morgana clamped her eyes shut for a moment before casting Merlin an apologetic look. Both gestures commanded Merlin into silence. Glowering he lowered his hand, stepping away from the machine.  

"You don't look like a  _super_ villain." he said, studying the archaic costume that resembled an ancient warrior. The man sneered, amused by his words.  

"You don't look like a superhero." the man chided in return.  Shrugging casually, Merlin circled the man slowly.   

"Well," he began, meeting Cat-Woman's eyes. She gazed back in comprehension, not giving anything away. In one swift action, a web propelled him up towards the ceiling. He was sheltered by the shadows. Then another strand shot him to the other corner.

"You know what they say..." he chuckled when the villain drew another sword from his back, prodding it into Merlin's costume as he hovered above him. Morgana viciously stamped on the villain's foot, causing him to drop his sword, she rolled daintily out of the way whilst Merlin darted back up to the ceiling.   

"Looks can be deceiving." Merlin finished with a grin, admiring his work proudly.  He'd just trapped the villain in a massive web. 

"We can't hold these things off for much longer," Widow exclaimed, darting out of the way of a brutal collision. Superman frowned in response. "Arthur, even if Morgana _can_ close the portal, we've still got all these  _things_ stuck here in Camelot-"  

"-How fast can you make a bomb?" He interrupted whilst weaving around one of the creatures. 

"It depends." She replied cautiously, uncertain of his distant tone. When Arthur raised his eyebrows impatiently she elaborated.

"It depends on the scale."  

" _A big one_. Big enough to blow up," he pointed towards the portal. "everything inside  _that."_ Levitating in the air, he gazed back at the gaping woman. "Oh, and preferably not nuclear either, seeing as I'm going to be going in with it."  

" _You're joking!_ " she exclaimed. Her actions contradicted her words; she was already scrounging for supplies, pulling out whatever she already had from her belt to assemble something. She sparred him a glance, eyes softening. "You'll never make it back out in time. The bomb will have to be detonated just before the portal closes. Not even  _you_ can fly that fast."  

"Yeah," he breathed rather casually, gazing up into the tear. "It's worth a shot though."  Her tone became more severe, scolding in nature. Eyes dark, she tugged at his cape, pulling him back down forcefully.  

"Now is not the time to _test_ your own abilities! You could  _die."_   

"Better I die," he admitted. "than the people of Camelot." 

_Cause I'm bleeding out_

_So if that last thing that I do_

_Is bring you down_

_I'll bleed you out_

_so I bare my skin_

_And I count my sins_

_And I close my eyes and I take it in_

_I'm bleeding out_

_I'm bleeding out for you_

"Gwen," Merlin said, voice low and lethal. "What's going on?"  

"We're going to lure the Leviathans back into the portal, then pull the plug as the portal shuts." she explained simply, not able to meet his eyes.  

"No," he snapped petulantly, watching Arthur hovering close to the portal, the bomb dangling from his hands. "I mean  _what the fuck_ is Arthur doing?"   Widow remained quiet, bowing her head. This confirmed his suspicions.

Merlin didn't hesitate. He used his webs to hoist himself onto the top of the skyscraper. It was sill  _too far_ away from where Superman was hovering. Clenching his fists, he felt the anger and sudden panic burst inside him, because this wasn't about Superman, this was about _Arthur_ who was perfectly fine with the prospect of being blown to smithereens.  

"ARTHUR!" he yelled, not caring that his voice sounded desperate and fearful. The man in the sky turned his attention to him, but didn't come any closer. Smart bastard, he  _knew_ Merlin would try and catch him with his web and pull him back to safety. Growling, Merlin leant over the edge of the building, unfazed by the height. "Stop being a noble prat and get your arse down here! You don't need to die. You can just throw it in-"  

"-That won't work. It needs to go deep inside. _"_ Arthur replied, voice laced in irritation. That stupid spider always had to crawl into his heart and infect it with a potent venom that dissolved his resolve every time.   

"Well, I'll go instead." said Spider offered despairingly, raking a hand through his dark hair. Arthur shot him an amused smile, eyes flickering with tenderness. 

"You can't fly,  _idiot."_  Ignoring the hero's rather childish tone - because now was not the time to pretend _this_ was another one of their petty fights- Merlin furrowed his brow in frustration.  

"Arthur, you can't do this please-  _listen_ to me!"  Smiling, Superman studied the man standing on the ledge of the building.   

"You know me Merlin," he called out. "I never listen to you."   

"I..." Blinking rapidly to avoid tears falling down his face, Merlin swallowed-hard. ".... _you_..." Damn! Why was it so hard to talk now of all times, when Arthur was about to be obliterated. Unable to form word on his tongue, no matter how hard he tried, Merlin laughed bitterly. Suddenly Arthur was floating in front of him, a sad, poignant expression on his face.  

"If I make it," he whispered, alarming Merlin with his proximity. "I'll try harder, I promise."

Before Merlin could react, he felt those soft, angelic lips ghost over his own. The kiss was chaste, gentle. His heart raced. The second he shut his eyes, trying to respond, he felt the warmth fade away. 

He could literally feel his heart breaking in two cataclysmically as he watched the Leviathans take the bait and follow Arthur through the portal. The explosion came seconds later. They were only able to see the first flames sprouting, the initial boom; after that the portal had closed, allowing the explosion to only effect the other side. It was over. The Leviathans were gone- but so was Arthur. Lowering himself from the building, Merlin landed beside Black Widow and Cat-Woman. The two women drew him into a hug, tight enough that it was uncertain whether the tears on your face where your own and whose arms were whose. The dark clouds cleared the sky, allowing sunlight to seep through. It shone over the city of Camelot, inspecting damage cautiously, focusing its main attention on the three heroes standing in the city street. 

Releasing his friends, his fellow heroes, Merlin wiped his eyes and gazed up into the blue sky. There was no trace of any disturbance, no trace of  _him._ He was gone. He was too caught up in his own mind, memories of Superman, to notice the sudden surge of attention. Helicopters. Cars. People. Reporters. _Life._  Flashing lights, blinding - but not as blinding as the explosion. Shouting - but not loud enough to block out the sound of his heartbeat slowing down. He saw Uther appear from the crowd, ushering the three of them towards the slightly charred, yet amazingly intact, Phoenix building. He could see the man's mouth moving, clearly anxious about Arthur. Merlin tried to respond verbally but found he couldn't. No words sounded. Widow hooked an arm around his waist, hauling him up the steps. The shouting followed, the blinding lights lingered in his vision for a second too many, gesturing dizziness. 

Ironic - it was here the four heroes had assembled together, here they had all turned their backs on the world...and now it was here only three stood.

People, presumably Uther's men, flocked past the three heroes, barricading the door behind them. The shouting was a mere echo, the lights an illusion. Merlin tried to grasp onto the light, tug it back towards him, he truly did. But it kept slipping away, lunging him in and out of total oblivion, total darkness. Then the sounds sieved away, like grains of sand between two palms. Every movement around him was slow, blurred. Disorientated. Hurt. He shut his eyes tightly, hoping to rid himself of the motion-sickness. It didn't fade. It expanded. He opened his eyes to a mesh of blue and yellow, and of course red. The tears fell. Even when strong arms had taken hold of him - too masculine and bulky to be a woman's - he refused to believe his mind's hallucination.

"Imaginary..." he eventually managed to stutter, regaining his balance due to the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. He held a hand out towards the blur of blue, yellow and red, exhausted. " _Please_ go away..."

"Not a chance."  


	5. Once & Future

 

Latching onto that smooth voice, Merlin felt the colours define themselves better, the pretentious stupid 'S' on the front of that blue costume came into focus. Those crystal blue eyes met his, his usual pristine blonde locks tousled and chaotic. It was him. Not even his mind could conjure a hallucination this realistic. He gaped at the man, shocked and relieved. In one swift movement, he propelled himself towards the man. They shared a comforting embrace, Arthur stumbled backwards at the force. 

"Wait- you..." Then abruptly Merlin released him, making sure to shove him hard. "You  _knew_ you'd survive didn't you?!" he shrieked, incapable of even  _pretending_ to be angry anymore because  _this_ had Superman written all over it, and he couldn't believe he'd actually fallen for the arrogant, theatrical stunt without any speculation whatsoever. 

Arthur shrugged nonchalantly.

"I had to come up _something_ believable, so that I could kiss you." he mumbled, sheepishly avoiding Morgana's amused glance. 

" _Prat."_ Merlin replied with a smile. "Of course you had to _dramatise_ the whole thing with a noble, brave death and," blushing a little, he met Arthur's eyes. "a kiss."  

The whole thing sounded completely ridiculous and cliche, and yet so brilliantly fantastic that Merlin found his insides were bubbling, his heart exploding. He bought a hand to his mouth in pure glee, laughing. The laughter became contagious, all four heroes cherished it.

"I can't _believe it!_ " Gwen exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "We actually did it." 

"We _worked together_." Arthur stated, a little surprised by the gravity of the statement. Narrowing his eyes, he gazed pensively into the distance. Despite their differences, they _had_ come together - and they'd made a kick-ass team too.   

"You know what this means, _right_?" Black Widow asked with a soft smile, making her way to stand beside Merlin. 

"I guess I'm stuck with you guys now." Morgana sighed with a coy smile, waltzing towards them. Merlin scratched his cheek whilst trying to suppress a grin. He failed miserably, sparking a burst of smiles.

"Don't be such _a girl_ Merlin." Arthur groaned, nudging him affectionately. 

"So," Uther mused from the side of the room, walking towards them. "I take it you're not planning to disjoin and leave Camelot in disarray ever again?" 

Meeting his father's eyes, Arthur smiled. 

"You can always count on us."

 

  
 

_We could rule the world_

_on a silver platter_

_from the wrong to the right light_

_to the open stream_

_with a crash and burn we could make it better_

_turn it upside down_

_just you and me_

 

**...COMING SOON...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Hope you enjoyed this ficmix/fanmix/ficlet thing and the artwork :D
> 
> PS- Sequel is coming, including some new heroes... and villains :O!


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